


Quiet

by imthederpyfox



Series: Sanders sides [15]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders
Genre: AU, Aliens, Angst, Anxiety, Blood, Crying, Deaf Character, Death, Depression, F/F, F/M, Gore, Horror, Insomnia, M/M, Monsters, Multi, Other, Pain, Self Harm, Sign Language, Silence, Starvation, Survival, apocolypse AU, bad situation, hunger, kinda based on a quiet place, may need to be added to, sleep deprevation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-09 15:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16452110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imthederpyfox/pseuds/imthederpyfox
Summary: Everything is silent, just as it should be.Everything is dead, just as it shouldn't.The creatures are coming...They need to escape, to run, to hide. To remain... silent.They're coming...





	1. Home : day 86

**Author's Note:**

> An apocalypse AU based sorta around a Quiet Place!
> 
> I also think of the Demi Lovato song, Quiet as well, idk, basically the group are attempting to survive in an apocalyptic situation, where creatures are attacking based on sounds. They must remain quiet, vigilant, and - most importantly - alive. 
> 
> But will they all survive? Will any of them? 
> 
> A horror AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> started writing this a couple days ago, I usually force myself to upload straight away but for this one I needed to think for a while on certain details. 
> 
> I know the basics of sign language and stuff but I'm in no way an expert, so if i get anything wrong, let me know

The house was silent, as always. It had become normal to have silence constantly surround yourself, no noises apart from the wind or occasional birds that got cut off pretty quickly afterwards.  
Most of the birds had flew away, evacuating before they could die. Humanity isn't so lucky, they can't tell when something is about to happen. Like a dog who tucks its tail between its legs just before a storm rolls in. Nobody knew this storm would come. And everybody wished it hadn't. There were ways around it, sure. But it was difficult, so insanely worse than any of them could have thought. There was still electricity, so phones still worked, not that there was anyone to call or message. Still, they could use them with headphones for music, quietly. It gave a break from the silence.  
The aspect of surviving was lost on Virgil, sometimes he wondered what would be so bad if he went outside one night, let them get him. It would surely be better than this cursed existence. But his friends needed him. Declyn especially, Virgil was one of the only ones that could fully sign after all. The others had learnt, since it was important for them to now, but they weren't fluent yet. Bar himself, Declyn's brother - Remmy - knew the most, so it wasn't as if Declyn was completely without anyone to talk to, but Virgil knew it was nice to know someone fluent.  
He lived with seven other people, in an old cabin house they had moved to after escaping the city. They used to live here after all, before they moved into the city to go to work and school and had gotten a couple of joint apartments. The cabin had been Thomas and Roman's Uncles, however he had died and when the brothers moved from LA to live in the house their Uncle had left them, Roman invited his and Thomas' new friends to join them. The cabin was big after all, too much for two people. It started out with Patton and Logan joining, then Declyn and Remmy, and Emile joined quite a while after that, with the last being Virgil, once he'd managed to finally escape his family.

Everything had been gift wrapped since the epidemic. Virgil's headphones had (used) bubble-wrap where the speaker box would usually tap against the head strap when he moved them. The beds were covered in wool sheets and pillows instead of any other material, since they made no noise that way, all of which Patton had knitted. They didn't wear shoes, since walking with nothing on your feet made it easier to control your steps. They had laid sand roads everywhere, it had taken them a while, but they had finished it. The roads read all the way into town, to the shops they needed, different places, etc.  
They had a few weapons, Virgil himself carried around a couple knives at all times, but they all had their favourites. They even practised careful sparing in the basement on the old foam that used to line the attic before the Uncle renovated.  
They grew their own food, simple stuff, none of them bar maybe Thomas knew much about growing the more tricky stuff. They watched TV with no sound and subtitles, so they could still watch Roman's Disney films and Patton's Steven Universe. There was water nearby, a winding river where they could fish if need be, though it was difficult not to make to much noise in the water, the river itself did shield some sound. They explored as much as possible, laying sand wherever they went. Around the river it wasn't too urgent, but everywhere else they had to. Footsteps were too loud and they were after loud noises... and quiet ones.

Day 27

Virgil took off his headphones as a light flashed under the door twice, signalling someone was asking to enter. He picked up his own torch and flashed back twice, signalling to enter.  
Patton pushed the door open - they never fully closed the doors, it was too much noise. If they did then they made sure to have a cloth in between the door and the frame, to muffle the sound - and smiled at the angsty teen.  
'Hello, kid, I made dinner.' He signed, he wasn't really the best at signing, so he tended to shorten his sentences. He always held a look of concentration when signing as well, and often forgot to mouth the words too. Virgil had been taught to mouth the words as well as sign them, because it helped the person who couldn't hear to understand when he made a mistake.  
'Thanks, Patton.' He replied and got up, placing down the book he'd been reading onto his bed and turned off the lantern on his bedside table, lifting his flashlight so he could follow the father figure out of the room. 'Where are the others?' he asked as they headed downstairs, he also tried to simplify his signing depending which roommate he was talking to.  
'They went to put more sand, and other stuff.' Patton answered, heading into the kitchen with Virgil in tow.  
'Good evening, Virgil.' Declyn and Remmy signed, receiving the same response from the anxious boy.  
'Here you go, kid.' Patton signed, handing him the usual leaf plate with some bread, fish and cheese. He thanked him and Patton smiled, handing the others their food as well. 

Virgil was talking to Declyn and Remmy at the table when Logan and Thomas returned. They all greeted each other and Patton handed the returning boys their food. The lamp on the table was mesmerising int he silence, the tiny flame dancing as Virgil watched. They didn't dare put on the proper light, according to another group they'd met a couple weeks before, the creatures were also drawn to very bright light. Virgil wasn't sure if he believed that, but the others didn't want to take that risk.  
He wondered if the rest of the world was effected. The newspapers before a lot of America got wiped out had spoke only of the USA, how it was affecting here. Though they all suspected that it spread down to Mexico and up to Canada. Despite the weather being different in each area, the creatures had spread so quickly in the US that they doubted that the rest of the large island was still ok. 

About an hour later they all sat drinking coffee, tea and hot chocolate from Roman's soft clay mugs. If they dropped them it didn't make a noise, they just had to be sure to hold them properly so they didn't squash them. That was when Roman and Emile also returned, seeming somewhat excited - which was rare since the epidemic.  
They began signing about a nearby thing, though neither seemed to know how to sign it. Virgil eventually understood what they were trying to say and motioned the word to Declyn, since he'd probably be better at describing it through sign than he was. Declyn described a waterfall through sign and everyone seemed to perk up quite a bit. 

Virgil stared down at his cup, a waterfall meant there was a last minute backup plan. A second place they could hide at. It wasn't the best, but last options didn't need to be. They just needed to be better than dying. The sound of the waterfall would mean they could talk, it meant they could quietly do other things they hadn't been able to. But it also meant everything being constantly wet, which lead to illness. It meant that while the creatures couldn't hear, neither could they. It would leave them vulnerable. Slightly protected, but still vulnerable.  
'It will help when he or she comes.' Logan then signed, proving a good point. 

To explain, One of the group had changed their gender most of the way before the epidemic. Patton had been most of the way through his transition. He was saving up for the past couple years to get the final surgery, and had almost earned enough a couple months before this whole thing started, he would only have had to have saved for another 5-6 and the rest of them were going to chip in as a surprise birthday present...  
But, something they didn't know until after this whole thing had started, Patton had managed to become pregnant. He was still a male to them, they all supported him, and they knew he would support them till the end as well. The waterfall - which Virgil hadn't realised - would be a great place for Patton to... have the child. The others could look out, a couple could watch the house, and that way Patton and the baby would be protected by the sound of the water. They could take the soundproof comfy box they had made as a substitute for a crib (it attached to the bottom part of a crib so that it could stand up, but could also be detached so they could carry around the child. After all, babies were noisy. They didn't understand the consequences of making a lot of noise) to carry the child back. It made sense...

They had all seen what could go wrong with a child around, and all of them make extra sure that when the new baby came, they could protect the child from them. That lead to extra precautions being planned and new soundproofing being made. Planning was what kept them alive and mostly well.  
They all had reasons that they wanted to survive to see the creatures gone.  
Everyone but Virgil... He was just along for the ride. 

He joined back in with the idle signed conversation as the others asked if he was ok, and soon they headed to the lounge to watch a film before they would go to sleep. They took turns when it came to sleeping, just to be safe. Virgil didn't tend to sleep at all anyway, scared something would come for him. Fast and unexpected, ripping into him or maybe taking him away, slowly peeling off his flesh for a snack later before sinking its claws into his pained, still alive and writhing body, pulling out his organs one by one before he finally found the dark.  
His dreams were now nightmares, and his nightmares left him shaking and jumpy for days. And jumpy was not good when you were trying to survive in silence.  
So he and Logan took the first watch, settling down on the sofa to read their own books, Virgil had one headphone on, just to relax a bit. Logan rubbed his eyes under his glasses, obviously tired.  
The only one that got sleep around here was Remmy, and that was only because he was a narcoleptic. It wasn't too often and so far it hadn't been in any bad situations that lead to anything terrible happening, but still, Remmy would generally stay with Declyn, trying to make sure he didn't put the rest of them in danger if he did collapse anywhere. 

The day had gone as well as well was nowadays, nothing bad had happened and there was more of a chance of Patton's child and Patton himself being safe, which they all cared about. He would be a good dad... Virgil knew it.  
Crops got planted, sand got laid, flowers got planted round the front to make sure if the creatures could smell - none of them knew - that the various flowers they had put in could mask the scent of humans. They read, they listened to music, they watched a film, they set up some lights for the basement and quietly moved some of their projects down there instead of in the barn. That had been terrifying. 

Soon, while Virgil was thinking of what they had gotten done today, Logan had fallen asleep. Virgil always worried the others would snore, that he'd go to see where they were in the morning and they'd be gone or a bloody pile of bones and flesh would be laying on their bed, all that remained of them. He had made Roman a mouth guard to stop his snoring, Logan had taught himself an angle to sleep at to steady and quieten his slightly heavier sleep breathing, and the rest didn't make noises.  
Virgil had used to talk in his sleep, sometimes even scream... too many night terrors... but due to not sleeping anymore, that wasn't really an issue. He smiled at his sleeping friend, taking off his cushioned glasses and placing them to one side, and then turning on the TV and watching some of his programs before he would get Declyn and Emile to take over the guard duty and he would retire to his room to listen to music and charge his phone. 

These days would continue on, same as usual, and all he could think about was what the point was if they would either die or would be so mentally scared that they couldn't return to normal life after this was over. And Virgil didn't want to return to normal life. Normal life was broken, too loud and too intense. Everyone hate him and the people he lived with were no exception. Patton had vouched for him until the others let him live with them. They had grown used to him but they didn't like him. Even Patton sometimes seemed defeated by Virgil's presence.  
He was the odd one out.  
But disaster brought people together. 

And Virgil actually found himself hated that part of humanity...


	2. Mind : Day 87

\------------

He was running, as fast as he could. His friends cried silently in the background, already accepting what was about to happen. But he kept running. 

The sand was coarse beneath his bare feet, throwing the light material up into the air. Just a little further... just a little bit more...

The flash...

The blood drops...

The screech and the scream and the sound of a predator reaching its prey.

He dropped to his knees, wanting to scream as loud as he could, wanting to reverse the clock... He could have- should have stopped it. Finished it before it had even began. He should have known.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, his black makeup dripping and staining the sand below him, the sand he gripped in his hands to the point of pain. And then there was a hand over his mouth as he went to shout out.

The hand muffled him, knowing they couldn't make noise. Not with one of them so close.

He sobbed into Logan's hand, Patton also had his hand on his shoulder, comforting. They were all crying...

The tears...

God the blood...

The smell...

He shook Logan's hand away, raising his hands to show he would be quiet. 

God he should have gotten them to be quiet... 

It was his fault...

It was him...

He should have known, should have done SOMETHING. Anything...

They were his responsibility. 

The blood...

Pain...

The tears kept falling and he lent down to the sand, silently sobbing into the backs of his hands.

He should have done something...

\-----------

He writhed around, suddenly waking with a start to feel a hand over his face. Logan knelt over him, Declyn and Emile came down the stairs ready for their shift, and paused at the door. Patton also entered the room. He slowly woke up and stopped struggling as Logan frantically held up a finger to his lips, signalling for Virgil to be quiet.   
After a few seconds he nodded, tears in his eyes.  
Logan slowly let go, nodding as well and sitting back, making way for Patton, who hugged Virgil to his chest and stroked his hair.   
How, how had he fallen asleep? He didn't do that anymore, he made sure not to. He looked to his friends... If Logan hadn't woken up they would have ended up like... 

The blood...

The pain...

And it would have been his fault. He couldn't put his family in danger. That's why he didn't sleep.   
Patton eventually managed to help him through his breathing exercises and he nodded when he was almost back to normal. Patton smiled and ruffled his hair, causing Virgil to give him a playful glare that he really didn't feel like.   
'What happened?' Logan signed.  
Virgil paused, he couldn't tell them he wasn't sleeping. That wouldn't end well, they'd all make him sleep and then they'd all die. 'Nightmare...' Was all he said, and they seemed to all understand.   
'OK, Well, you weren't too loud, so we will be fine. Ok?' Logan replied. Virgil gave a nod he didn't want to give.   
True they hadn't heard anything since he'd woken up, but the creatures could be nearby, biding their time to strike. 'I'm really sorry... I...'  
Emile raised a hand, signalling for him to not apologise. He smiled softly. 'Me and Remmy take watch now.' He signed. He was a little better than Patton, but not really very good at all, so he dumbed down his sentences as well. He always hated it, since he was a doctor, he didn't like feeling or sounding stupid, even through sign.

Virgil nodded, letting Patton help him to his feet. He was still shaking, his knees threatening to give way, but he didn't give it away. They didn't have to worry about him. If he was alone he would have given up ages ago... But he had to be quiet, he couldn't put their lives at risk just because he didn't care if he lived or died.   
Patton took him into the kitchen as Logan said goodnight and headed upstairs.   
The father figure grabbed the flask and poured out two hot chocolates, handing one to Virgil, who nodded and gave a small smile.   
'How are you, kid?' Patton signed before taking a soothing sip of his chocolate, subconsciously rubbing a hand over his small baby bump. Virgil smiled at that. Patton would be a good dad.   
'I'm ok...' He shrugged, looking down at the table.   
He looked back up when Patton placed a hand on his own. 'Do not lie. You can talk to me.' He replied, slowly in his signing so he could make sure - despite knowing full well that the younger boy would understand - Virgil could understand what he was saying. Virgil let out a breathe, leaning back in his chair. Patton already knew what was wrong, why make him talk about it?  
'It's just... the kids.' He responded. Patton's face contorted into pity and sadness, mostly on Virgil's behalf. 'Just a bad dream. It's ok. I'M ok...' he added, giving a tiny smile to try and reassure Patton. 

They finished their drinks and Virgil stood, gaining a confused look from the older boy. He rolled his eyes with a smile. 'Patton, you need to sleep. You have to look after yourself...' He repeated his last sentence when Patton didn't seem to understand, but the father figure nodded with a smile after the second repeat, showing he understood what Virgil was saying. He eventually agreed to go back to bed, knowing he did actually have to make sure he was ok so the baby would be ok.   
'Night, kid.' He signed as they got back upstairs, and Virgil quickly grabbed his hand. Patton tilted his head slightly and Virgil looked like a deer in headlights, wondering if he should just stop and go to his room. But he quickly pulled Patton into a hug. It took a moment for the older man to figure out what was happening, but just as Virgil was about to pull away, feeling stupid, Patton hugged him back. 

Patton had been the only one to vouch for Virgil in the past, the teen knew Patton probably didn't like him, none of them really did... Patton was kind to everyone, that's why he was allowing this. Virgil quickly pulled away and went into his room, being careful not to make any noise and leaving Patton in the corridor.   
He curled up in his bed, sighing and putting his phone on charge. He was so stupid... None of them liked him, none of them. Not even Patton. He almost got them caught tonight, which meant that they probably all hated him more so than before. He hated himself for what had happened, and he knew they blamed him. He had gotten rid of the people who gave them a bit f happiness in this hell hole. It didn't matter that he was the one who bought them here in the first place, if anything it made it worse that it was HIS FAULT. Of course it was his fault...

He was silently crying not long later, being sure to stay quiet. He dug his nails into his palms, and knew what he'd have to do to feel better... He headed into the bathroom, slowly grabbing his razor with his shaking hands, and slipping out the little razor. He held it to his arm and slowly drew it back across his skin, feeling a slight snap of his flesh and the red soon ran down his arm. He looked to the ceiling in relief, it had been too long and not long at all... He shivered slightly and continued, until the pain went away, until he felt better, until he was all out of tears...

He softly wiped his arms with the sink water, dipping them in to reduce the sound, and he headed back into his room, pulling his jacket back on and laying down on his bed, forcing the memories out of his head and simply putting on his headphones, listening to music and daydreaming until everyone got up.


End file.
